strollers and baby carriers on the airlines

[alisonarod]

Does anyone know how strollers, car seats and baby carriers get boarded on airliners? Are any of these things forbidden on the plane? How does this work? We will need all these things in disney for our 15 month old daughter.

 

[Barb D]

You roll the stroller right up to the plane. They'll load it into the cargo area. It will be waiting for you as soon as you get off the plane. The car seat can go on the plane with you if you bought your DD a seat, or it can go with your checked baggage if you didn't. I'm not sure what you mean by baby carrier.

 

[Nanu57v]

I'm not sure what you mean by baby carrier either. We have an ERGO baby carrier, but I just packed that in my suitcase. I initially thought you meant and infant carrier (the carseat thing), but surely your 15 month-old will have outgrown that. So, why don't you clarify that one?

For ease of carrying, we used the stroller to carry the carseat and I carried DD up to the gate at the airport. If your DD is under 20 pounds (like mine was at 15 months) she should still ride rear-facing. I had an airline attendant tell me that my carseat wasn't made to go rear-facing! (This was when DD was 9 months old). Also, if its rear-facing it needs to be in the window seat so people can get out from the other seats without having to climb. We also put her in window front-facing (at 19 months) just because our Britax is kind of big.

The stroller is "gate-checked." You will need to get a ticket at the desk near your gate to attach to the stroller. When you pre-board, you just park it at the plane door and collapse it and they will put it on the plane.

 

[snickerboo]

You 'gate check' your gear at the end of the ramp as you board the plane. Ask the attendant at the gate. When you get off the plane, they'll bring it right to you, just wait on the ramp after you exit the plane. That way you can buckle baby in and wheel him/her through the airport. If by carrier you mean the infant seat, you can just bring it on with you, same with a baby bjorn-type carrier.

Most airlines' websites have a seciton about travelling with babies and young children. Check your airline so you know exactly whta their policies are before you go.